# Is "Dirty Work" by Larry Brown a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dirty Work by Larry Brown (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1989) is identified by: 236 pp.; 'First Edition / First Printing' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price intact on the front jacket flap. The US Algonquin 1989 edition is the true first; Brown's first novel, following the 1988 story collection Facing the Music.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 236 pp.; 'First Edition / First Printing' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price intact on the front jacket flap
- ISBN 0-945575-20-3
- Quarter-bound in publisher's black cloth over grey boards, the spine lettered in silver, with red endpapers; the glossy dust jacket carries a color illustration in shades of purple
- Brown's first novel (his second book)
- Publisher imprint reads Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Brown |
| Publisher | Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 236 pp.; 'First Edition / First Printing' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price intact on the front jacket flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
236 pp.; 'First Edition / First Printing' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price intact on the front jacket flap. ISBN 0-945575-20-3 (9780945575207). Quarter-bound in publisher's black cloth over grey boards, the spine lettered in silver, with red endpapers; the glossy dust jacket carries a color illustration in shades of purple. Brown's first novel (his second book).

## Is this the true first?
The US Algonquin 1989 edition is the true first; Brown's first novel, following the 1988 story collection Facing the Music.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings state additional printings on the copyright page; watch for clipped or price-stickered jackets that can mask reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dirty Work* by Larry Brown a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dirty-work
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.